La Luna Oscura
by The Sorrows of Arlathan
Summary: Luna Lovegood knows the day will be a long one, especially when her shoes go missing (again!) Her peers think she's weird, but if only they could see that Crumple-Horned Snorkacks were actually real! Alas, only Ginny Weasley seems to deem her worthy of friendship, but an invitation to join an underground Defense Against the Dark Arts class might just change everything.


_**A/N: My first attempt at a Harry Potter fic. Not sure where (if anywhere) I'm going with it. Could turn into a potential Luna x Ginny romance. Or could just be Luna's Hogwarts experience. Honestly, just wrote it tonight in half an hour and thought I'd share it to breathe a bit of life back into my work and get away from video game fics for a while. Hope you enjoy :)**_

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**_It's not like I don't know what everyone thinks of me. Daddy always told me to be myself, but I'm a little different to the other kids. Each time I walk down the corridor of Hogwarts, students find it hilarious to call me names or push me over. It's all fun and games, of course, but I'd be lying if I said it didn't hurt on occasion. I know Hogwarts like the back of my hand, as I'm constantly charting routes to avoid crowds where I can skip happily to class without being bothered. It doesn't always work out though. Today was one of those days._**

Luna Lovegood stood shoe-less in front of Michael Corner, Terry Boot and Anthony Goldstein, just outside of Snape's dungeon. Her wand slipped a centimetre from behind her ear, as she sweated under their gaze.

"Well, Loony, you've really outdone yourself this time," Michael said, smirking at her miss-matched socks. "Walking shoe-less around the school? Don't you get made fun of enough? What will people say?"

"Probably nothing I haven't already heard," she replied. "Daddy always said that people who say bad things about you, are really just projecting how they feel about themselves."

Michael turned to his two friends and all three of them sniggered. "You do realise your father's loopy don't you? Loopy and Loony together, you are. I bet your mother was just as nuts."

"My mother was an extraordinary witch," Luna said proudly. "And I know what people think of Daddy. They didn't believe that the Crumple-Horned Snorkack was real, but he proved them wrong by positively identifying and replicating their mating calls. We're expecting a whole host of them to arrive in our garden any day now to reproduce." Luna smiled sweetly at the boys, who stared at her strangely.

"God, you really have lost the plot!" Terry exclaimed. "Why do you always have to be such a weirdo?"

"I'm not weird," Luna said, stung by his words. She would never let them know they got to her though. "Now, if you'll excuse me. I came through the dungeons as a short-cut, but now I'm late for Transfiguration."

"You'd better run then. Or maybe the Snorkack can fly you there on his back." Terry teased. "Later, Loony-Bin." He stuck out his foot as she passed, and Luna tripped face first across the floor. Her books spilled out of her arm and her wand rolled out from behind her ear and across the dungeon.

"Ow!" She sucked her burst lip that had whacked off the concrete. "Why did you do that?"

"I didn't do a thing!" Terry said indignantly, as the other two boys guffawed beside him.

"You tripped me!"

"No, I didn't," he laughed. "You fell over! No one's going to believe you. You tell such ridiculous stories as it is. Who's going to take your side over mine?"

Luna frowned. She could feel tears welling in her eyes, and didn't want them to see. She rubbed the dirt from her skinned knees and got to her feet. As the boys yelled more teasings at her, she collected her books and wand, and walked down the corridor, taking the safest route to Professor McGonagall's class.

"You're late, Miss Lovegood," McGonagall greeted her sternly, as Luna entered the classroom.

"Sorry, Professor."

"And just where are your shoes?" Professor McGonagall stared down at her pink and white socks with the rest of the class, some of whom broke into a fit of giggles.

"Forgive me, Professor. All of my shoes magically disappeared this morning. I suspect nargles are behind it."

Professor McGonagall gave her a quizzical look. "Very well. That'll be ten points from Ravenclaw, Miss Lovegood. I expect students who attend my class to arrive in full uniform. Now please, take your seat so that we can proceed with the lesson."

"Yes, Professor."

Luna weaved between the desks, receiving glares from the Ravenclaws, who weren't too happy about having points docked from their house. Some Gryffindors made faces at her, and a few Hufflepuffs giggled as she passed. As she made to sit down at a desk beside a group of popular Slytherins, one of them flicked their wands and made it levitate an inch off the ground.

"There's a seat over here, Luna."

Lune looked up, relieved to see the kind features of Ginny Weasley, who was chilling out at the back of the class room. She gave her a thankful smile and took up the seat beside her, dodging outstretched Slytherin feet as they tried to trip her. Ginny gave her a sympathetic pat on the back as Luna placed her books upon the desk, and returned her attention to Professor McGonagall, who had re-started the monologue she had interrupted with her lateness.

As they practiced multiplying feathers that lesson, Luna cast a glance at Ginny, wondering why she was always so nice to her. No one else seemed to deem her worthy enough, and Ginny was one of the most popular kids in their year. All the boys, and even a few of the girls, had a crush on her. And she was pretty cool too. She played Quidditch and hung around with Harry Potter on occasion. But Luna couldn't for the life of her understand why Ginny always went out of her way to talk to her. Not that she was complaining, as she found the day to be a lot better with her around.

When the bell finally rang, signalling the end of class, Ginny finally struck up conversation. "What really happened to you, Luna? Your knees are scuffed and your lip's swollen. And just where are your shoes? Please, don't give me the same story about nargles that you just fed McGonagall."

Luna sighed, staring at her toes as she wiggled them. Her pink socks were grimy on the bottom from walking about the castle. "You're right, it wasn't nargles. It isn't the time of year for them. I actually think it was the Blibbering Humdinger. I've often suspected Ravenclaw common room to be infested with them."

Ginny sighed, seeing she wasn't going to get the truth out of her. "Alright then. Don't tell me. But I _will_ find out who's doing this to you. It isn't fair." Sparks flew out of the end of Ginny's wand, as she flared with anger. She relaxed then, shoving the wand up her sleeve. "Come on. Let's get to Umbridge's class before she has another excuse to give me detention."

Luna perked up, relishing the chance to experience having a friend to walk with. Even well into her fourth year at Hogwarts, she still walked the castle alone more often than not. "Your hair looks very nice today, by the way," she said, admiring Ginny's flaming locks.

"Er, thanks," Ginny grinned, tucking a red ringlet behind her ear. Her face went red. "Hermione Granger helped me style it this morning. I'm meeting Michael later. Apparently Michael's got his hands on some Zonkos products before they reached the shelves. We're going to go out and mess around with them in the grounds with a few friends. You fancy coming along?"

"Oh," Luna hadn't expected to be invited. "Thanks, but I have to write a letter to Daddy this evening. He worries when he hasn't heard from me in a while. I think he gets lonely in our house without me. I've been his only companion since Mummy died."

"Look," Ginny tugged the sleeve of Luna's robe, and pulled her into one of the nooks on the first-floor. "I have something to ask you."

"What is it?"

Ginny glanced around to make sure no one was within earshot. "How would you feel about practicing Defence Against the Dark Arts?"

"Isn't that where we're going? To Umbridge's class?"

"I'm not talking about that Ministry-approved nonsense. I meant a secret class," Ginny grinned. "One taught by Harry Potter."

"Oh, is Harry teaching now? You know, I always thought he'd make a great professor, despite what the Daily Prophet says about him these days."

"Er, right," Ginny allowed herself a small chuckle. "What do you say? Hermione has organised a meeting for whoever wants to join. It'll be in the Hogs Head on the next trip to Hogsmeade. Do you want to come?"

"Sure!" Luna's heart lifted at the prospect of doing something with Ginny outside of class.

"Great," Ginny approved. "Just keep it on the down-low, ok? We don't anyone finding out who's going to sell us out to Umbridge."

"My lips are sealed," Luna promised. "Thanks, Ginny,"

"For what?" Ginny asked, as they rejoined the long line of chattering students on the way to their next lesson.

"Just thanks," Luna shrugged, hugging her books closer into her chest before they fell. "I like talking with you. It's like being with a friend."

"I am your friend, Luna."

"That's nice. I'll make sure and tell Daddy then. He's worried that I don't have any after all this time."

Ginny chuckled, shaking her head. "Tell him not to worry. I'll look out for you. Although, you might want to leave out the part about me leading you astray to join a secret DADA organisation to fight You-Know-Who."

"Oh, is that what we're doing it for? Perhaps you're right then. Daddy isn't as brave as I am, or so he tells me anyway. I don't think he would approve of knowing I was training to fight Dark Wizards in secret."

"Most parents wouldn't," Ginny said. "If my mother finds out, I'll be expecting a Howler over breakfast."

"Then we'll keep it to ourselves," Luna smiled. "I can't wait to go to Hogsmeade now. Normally I just go on my own."

"Well, not this time," Ginny promised. "We'll make a day of it, ok? But first things first; we're going to have to find you some new shoes."


End file.
